Package



Patented Apr. 16, 1940 PACKAGE Harold H. Moss, Upper Darby, Pa., assignor to The Diaphane Bag Corporation of Cnn., Upper Darby, Pa., a corporation of Connecticut Application September 26, 1938, Serial No. 231,643

Claims.

My invention relates to a retaining device and relates particularly to packaging brittle or fragile articles.

Heretofore, it has been customary to place 5 saleable edibles, such as cakes, in containers which have a transparent covering. However, such articles are usually held together rigidly so that the article if brittle or fragile would break if an undue strain is imposed thereon, and the article if broken is thus reduced in value.

It is a well known fact that certain types of transparent cellulose films are affected by atmospheric conditions with the result that considerable shrinkage of the film takes place. When this type of film is used for packaging, when it shrinks it will either distort the shape of the package; or if the package is unyielding, the will break resulting in considerable damage and loss of materials.

It is, therefore, an object of my invention to provide a package for brittle or fragile articles so that the articles will be provided with a supple or cushion-like support.

It is another object of my invention to provide a package for brittle or fragile articles so that they will remain in a slanting overlapping position to enhance their appearance.

Another object of my invention is to provide a package for brittle or fragile articles so that each fragile article will not carry much more than its own weight. v

It is another object of my invention to provide a package with sufficient resiliency so that transparent cellulose film would be used without '35 experiencing ill effects of shrinkage.

Another object of my invention is to provide an article-holding and display package which will provide a cushion-like support and wherein the articles are open to view.

Other objects of my invention are to provide a package which is simple, durable, and easily constructed.

With the above and related objects in view, my 45 invention consists in the following details of construction and combination of parts, as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. l is a plan view of a single strip of cardboard having in its plan view a series of crease lines thereon.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the cardboard shown in Fig. 1 wherein the cardboard has been folded along the crease lines indicated and where it is in position for receiving the articles to be displayed.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the cardboard base illustrated in Fig. 2 holding the fragile articles which are overlapping and which are supported by the base cardboard.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the lin 4-4 of Fig. 1. i i

Fig. 5 is a modification of my invention wherein a pressed-out stop member M holds the inclined cushion C in positon.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, I show in Fig. 1 a strip of semi-rigid material or base, generally designated as A, which material maybe cardboard having a thickness sufiicient to hold,

without buckling, the weight of the material to be packed. The cardboard is of a width slightly greater than that of the articles which it is to support and is of a suitable length to receive the necessary number of articles even after it is folded. The base A may, for the sake of convenience, be generally referred to as having a heel and a toe.

The strip A is sub-divided transversely at the front end by having a short transverse toe piece, generally designated as B. The piece B forms the front end or toe of the unit and is folded along the transverse crease l0, and it limits movement in one direction of the articles to be held.

The heel portion of the base A is folded to provide a cushion and to limit movement of the articles in the opposite direction to that limited by the toe. This is accomplished by having four creases which are spaced apart to form an inclined article support C and an inclined cushion ing support D and E for the inclined article support. The outer end F serves asa base for the inclined support C whereby the inclined support may be fastened to the intermediate section G of the base. The intermediate section is the space between the innermost creases, which will be hereinafter described. The lower section F, which serves as a base for the article support, is located between the outer transverse edge I2 and the fold line M. This section F is made sufficiently long to serve as the base for the inclined article support 0, the latter being located between the fold line l4 and another fold line l6. Two short section members D and E are formed between the fold lines It and i8, and i8 and 20, respectively, and each of section members D and E are of a length so that they jointly support the upper end of support C. The section members D and E are united at an angle to one another and serve as a cushiomand they appear as two sides of a triangle with an imaginary line directly joining the lines l6 and 20 to form the third side of the triangle.

Repeated in other words, the elements D and E because of their inclination to the members to which they are attached simply serve as a flexible leg for the hypotenuse or support C, which holds some of the edible articles H in an inclined position, as shown in Fig. 3.

Thus, the inclined support C for supporting articles H, which are usually fragile hard cakes, cushions any fall of the cakes, and it also artistically displays the articles retained in the package. A transparent casing of transparent cellulose film J, commonly sold under the trade-mark Cellophane, is preferably used to encircle the entire unit, and this enhances the appearance of the package as well as the base A. The package is thus made Water-proof and is sanitary, as dirt or any other contamination is completely excluded from the articles displayed.

Since the transparent cellulose film J is affected by atmospheric conditions in the sense that considerable shrinkage of the film occurs after the film is wrapped aroundthe articles and the base A, this shrinkage tends to crack the fragile articles contained therein. To eliminate the tension created by the shrinkage of the Cello phane, I provide additional tension or cushion members along the longitudinal edges of the base A. These cushion members K and L are created, Figs. 1 and 4, by folding each longitudinal edge or flap slightly upwardly along the line 22 and 24, respectively. As the cellulose film or Wrapper J contracts, it moveseach of the side flaps K and L upwardly until they are nearly at right-angles to the main portion G of the base A. The side flaps are of a width to tension the cellulose wrapper, and they do not carry any of the articles contained therein,

In completing the package, the first piece of article to be packed is placed against the support C. The second piece is then added so that the first piece serves as a support for the second piece until all the pieces are in place when the last one is anchored in the. acute angle defined between the sections B and G. The angularly disposed toe section B serves as a toe to retain or prevent the articles from slipping from their overlapping position. Then the base and overlapping fragile edibles are tightly wrapped in a cellulose film or wrapper, such as Cellophane.

When the package is under pressure or when the material, into which the complete arrangement is placed or wrapped, shrinks, sections D and E and flaps K and L Will come together yielding to the pressure created by the shrinkage or any superimpositions of weight. Thus, the inclined portions defined by the unit C, D and E serves as a resilient cushion for all of the stacked articles. The fold F may be united to the base G by means of a suitable clip, or it may be disposed of entirely, and a central portion of the bottom portion G may be bent out, as at M, to serve as a stop.

Although I have described the articles in the package as being inclined, it is within the scope of my invention to use a cushioned base even though the articles are placed in any different position.

Although my invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed.

I claim:

1. A package having a fiat base, a small side flap portion defining an obtuse angle with said base, a rear inclined portion forming an obtuse angle with said base, a plurality of articles adapted to be placed upon the base, and means to cushion said inclined portion.

-2. In a packaging unit, a base for supporting the articles to be displayed, a transparent covering for said base and the articles thereon, said base having a fiat portion on which articles may be supported, a front toe portion adjusted to limit movement of the articles in one rectilinear direction, an inclined cushion member adapted to limit movement of the articles in the opposite direction to that of the toe, and resilient means supporting one end of said cushion member.

3. A method of packaging comprising folding a semi-pliable sheet to form a front upturned end, forming a rear inclined end, forming a cushioning member for said inclined end, placing a plurality of articles to be displayed between said front end and said rear inclined end, and encasing said sheet together with the articles therein in a transparent moisture-proof covering.

4. In a packaging unit, a base for supporting the articles to be displayed, a transparent covering for said base and the articles thereon, said base having a fiat portion on which articles may be supported, a front toe portion adjusted to limit movement of the articles in one rectilinear direction, an inclined cushion member adapted to limit movement of the articles in the opposite direction to that of the toe, resilient means supporting one end of said cushion member, and an inclined upwardly extended flap at each longitudinal side of said base.

5. A base for a package comprising a single rectangular strip of semi-pliable material, a plurality of transverse creases on said material, said material being folded along said creases, an inclined support formed on said material at one of said creases and extending in an upwardly direction, and the upwardly extending end of said inclined support is joined to one of two out-of-line connected cushion members.

HAROLD H. MOSS. 

